Latch for sleeping-car headboards.



G. L. DURNEY.

LATCH FOR SLEEPING GAR HEADBOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1914.

1,094,781 Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

s rairns CLARK L. DORNEY F DAYTON, OHIO.

LATCH FOB SLEEPING-GAR HEADBOARDS.

Application filed January 14, 1914:.

'1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARK L. Donnnv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Sleep ing-Car Headboards; and I do declare the following to be a full clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enlr able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andv figures of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in locks for the head-boards of sleeping cars, it being understood that the term head-boards applies to the removable boards which separate the berths when made up.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient lock for securing the head-boards in position and which may be applied with equal facility to wood and steel constructed cars.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the backs of two seats and a portion of a head-board with my improved lock applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line aa of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 6- 0 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is sectional view on the line 0-0 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view of the latch removed from its housing; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking member which cooperates with the latch in securing the head-board in position; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the housin for the latch.

In the following description and on the drawings, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

In Fig. 1, the portion of two seats are shown back to back and joined by the usual panel or partition 1. In the case of wood constructed cars, this panel or partition 1 is suitably recessed in its vertical port-ion to receive the latch-housing 2 which extends from the inner side of the frame or plate In Fig. 2, the upper end 1 of the plate or frame 2 extends at a right angle and lies in a corresponding recess in the top of the par tition which separates the two seats. In this position the plate 3 is secured by a suit- Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Apr. 7238, 159% at.

Seria no. 811,955.

able number of screws 5. The latch (3 lies within the housing 2 and the upper portion of said latch is guided in its movements by the upper portion of the housing. A coil spring 7 incloses the body of the latch and is confined between upper and lower shoulders 8 and 9 formed on said latch. A button 10 is secured to the lower end of said latch and lies in a pocket 11 where it may be engaged by the fingers and moved against the tension of the spring to disengage the same from the other member of the lock. The other member of the lock is clearly shown in Fig. 6 to consist of the head 12 which is recessed in its lower end, as at 13, to receive the engaging end of the latch 6. The head 12 extends from two integral angle members 14 and 15 which fit over the outer lower cornor of the head-board l6 and the member thus constructed is made secure to the outer edge of the head-board by a suitable number of screws which pass through openings 17 and 18 in said member. The angle members 1 1 and 15 each have side flanges 19 which embrace the outer sides of the headboard 16 and prevent any possible sidewise movement of the head 12. The lower side of the angle member 1 1 is suitably shaped to enter a corresponding recess in the upper portion 5 of the latch frame 3.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the manipulation of the lock is simple and the clock itself efficient. For eX- ample in placing the head-board in position the head 12, which is united to the lower outer corner of said head-board, is caused to enter an opening 20 in the frame 3 and to engage with the upper tapered surface of the latch. The latch readily yields until the head 12 completely enters the opening 20 and is in a position for the end of the latch to enter the recess 13 in the lower end of said head. The head-board then becomes firmly locked in its position and is not removable until the latch 2 is lowered from its locking positionl The button 10 is entirely protected from accidental contact by being located in the pocket 11. In this position the button 10 forms a convenient place for at taching the lower portions of the curtains usually employed to conceal the occupants of the berths. The usual ring attached to the edge of these curtains may be conveniently placed over said buttons and thus held in position thereby.

Having described my invention, I claim.

1. A lock for sleeping car head-boards, comprising a member adapted to be attached to the head-board and having a downwardly 5 extended socket lug, a member adapted to be attached to the wall connecting the backs oi the seats, said last named member having an opening; to receive the socket lug of the first named member, and a pocket in the ver- 10 tieal portion thereof, and a latch slidably mounted in the vertical portion of the last named member and adapted to engage the socket lug of said first named member, said latch ha vine a knob lying within the pocket 15 in the vertical portion of the last named member.

2. ii seat corner member provided with a Tshapcd socket, a head-hoard corner member, a 'l'-sl1aped locking lug on said headboard. corner member provided with a loclc in recess and adapted to be received by said socket, and a latch mounted in said seat corner member, one end of said latch lying in said socket and adapted to be received by :5 said locking recess.

A seat corner member provided with-a T-shaped socket and a longitudinal groove, a head-board corner member adapted to lie in said groove, a T-shaped locking lug mounted on said head-board corn-3r member provided with a locking recess and adapted to be received by said socket, and a latch mounted in said seat corner member, one end of said latch. lying in said socket and adapted to be received by said locking recess.

4. in a device for the purposes specified, a corner member adapted to be united to a. head-board, and provided with a down wardly extended locking lug, a corner member adapted to be united to the all extending between the seats,saidlast named memher having at its upper corner an. opening for the reception of said locking lug, a longitudinal recess in its upper angle for the reception of the lower angle of said head board member, and a pocket. in its lower angle portion, and a latch slidably mounted in said lower angle portion with the engag ing end thereof lying in the path of said locking lug and adapted to interlock therewith when said lug is moved into the opening in the seat member.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CLARK L. DOBNEY. lVitnesses Mnttm GALLO'WAY, Mirr'rnnw SIEBLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

